The present invention relates to remote control of computer network activity and is particularly concerned with providing remote users with a means for manipulation of data objects and initiation of applications between collaborating computers.
Recent developments in telecommunications have resulted in networks for a wide variety of services. A large variety of these services have been configured so as to be accessible via the now standard web-browsing model using the Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (HTML). In this configuration, the target content is placed on an origin server that supports the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). A remote client can issue a specific HTTP request to this server for specific content or application interfaces by providing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to uniquely specify which resource is required. The origin server typically responds by providing the client with an HTML document that the remote client then renders on a viewing screen of a personal computer.
Further developments in this area are the development of protocols for devices with limited screen and keyboard resources, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and wireless handsets. Of particular relevance in this regard is a protocol termed Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP), a widely adopted new standard for wireless handsets with screens, set by the Wireless Application Protocol Forum and published in xe2x80x9cWireless Application Protocol Architecture Specificationxe2x80x9d, April 1998. The WAP standards define a screen phone capability and a corresponding server document language called the Wireless Mark-up Language (WML) that interact to allow a limited form of web browsing on wireless phones.
In the WAP model, the origin server will respond to HTTP requests by sending the client a WML document, as opposed to an HTML document, for the client to render on the viewing screen. As with HTML, the WML language provides for constructs that associate the selection of highlighted text (a so-called hypertext link or hyperlink) with a URL such that selecting the hyperlink causes the browser to request a new WML document associated with the URL from either the same or an other origin server as dictated by the URL. The new URL request results in the origin server providing the client with a new WML page for display or other operation. Besides hyperlinks, WML allows for user input of numbers and letters in input fields, as well as constructs that provide soft-keys/buttons for specific functions on a WML page.
The responses from the origin server (i.e. the WML document) sent to the client over the Internet, exit the Internet through a gateway server to be transferred over the wireless network to the client. The gateway server encodes the WML document into a compact form more suitable for both transmission over low speed wireless connections, and more suitable for processing by devices with limited memory and computational capabilities (wireless handsets and PDAs).
The provision of the WAP addresses one aspect of the limitations of portable devices, namely the reduced resources available such as screen size, keyboard, memory, and computational power.
The utilisation of WAP opens another potential need for the user. If the remote client is communicating with the origin server using WML, then it may be inferred that the user is remote from their more comprehensive access devices, such as a PC (personal computer).
For users remote from their personal computers, there does exist software programs which allow access to the computer. One such program is the popular Timbuktu Pro software program, a product of Netopia Inc., which allows users to operate computers from the remote control of another computer. This is achieved by having a copy of the Timbuktu Pro software resident on both the target (the computer to be controlled) and the remote computer. The Internet is used to link into the target PC and control its operation. In operation, the controlling computer has a program window open, which mirrors the display screen of the target computer. Operations performed within this window are transmitted and acted upon by the target computer as if the operations were transpiring at the target computer. Thus the remote user can effect full control of the target computer.
Other forms of remote control allow a device (often a LAN (local area network) switch or other piece of networking gear) to allow remote control through a web browser interface (such as Netscape Navigator(trademark), a Trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation, or Microsoft(copyright) Internet Explorer). In such configurations, the target device has web-hosting capability (can act as an origin server), and controlling computers can navigate to the web page of the device and once there, control the settings and configuration parameters of the device by interacting with the device""s web page.
A further form of remote control is Telnet, which allows a remote computer using Telnet software to access a target computer, server, or other piece of networking gear that also has Telnet capability; to control the settings and configuration parameters of the target device using a command-line style of interaction.
A significant limitation of these forms of remote control, is that the device used for remote control, for all practical purposes, needs to be a computer with full keyboard and screen unto itself; requiring for example a keyboard and mouse, a large display, an Internet connection and sufficient processing power to run a software utility such as Timbuktu Pro or Telnet, as well as provisions for installing such software. Therefore, there is a need for a method of remotely directing computer activity across a network while constrained by bandwidth, display, and processing capabilities at the remote end.
This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for providing an improved remote control of computer network activity.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of remotely directing data transfers comprising the steps of: accessing a data server from a wireless terminal; specifying a source for desired data; specifying a destination for receiving the desired data; and the data server effecting transferring the desired data from the source to the specified destination.
In an embodiment of the present invention the wireless terminal is a display terminal, the data server is an Internet protocol server, source and destination locations are specified by one or a combination of navigating hyperlinks, selecting from a list, or explicitly providing a location address, and transferring of the desired data is effected according to an Internet protocol.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of remotely directing data transfers comprising the steps of: accessing a page at a first server from a wireless display terminal; specifying desired data; specifying an initial destination address; accessing a second server at the initial destination address; specifying a specific desired destination at a final server; sending the specific desired destination address from final server to first server; and transferring desired data from the first server to the specific desired destination.
In an embodiment of the present invention the page accessed at the first server is an Internet web page, desired data and destination locations are specified by one or a combination of navigating hyperlinks, selecting from a list, or explicitly providing a location address, and a further step of providing a confirmation indication of the transferring of desired data is implemented. Further, in the application of this embodiment, it may result that the final server is the second server.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of remotely directing data transfers comprising the steps of: accessing a server from a wireless display terminal; specifying desired data; selecting a specific desired destination; and transferring desired data from the server to specific desired destination.
In an embodiment of the present invention the accessing of the server is an accessing of an Internet web page, desired data and specific desired destination locations are specified by one or a combination of navigating hyperlinks, selecting from a list, or explicitly providing a location address, and a further step of providing a confirmation indication of the transferring of desired data is implemented. Further, in the application of this embodiment, it may result that the desired data and specific desired destination are on the same server.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for interfacing at least one wireless display telephone terminal with a plurality of Internet site locations, said device comprising: a first memory for retrieving and storing a source resource location address; a second memory for retrieving and storing a destination address; and a transmitting section for transmitting the source resource located at the source resource location address to a destination resource located at the destination address location.
In an embodiment of the present invention the source resource location address, destination address, and a prompt for the transmitting section are provided by a wireless display telephone.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for linking a remote terminal in an data network environment with a plurality of network computers, wherein the network of computers contain a plurality of files, said system comprising: a hosting device residing on an network computer and including: a first memory, for retrieving and storing a source resource location address; a second memory, for retrieving and storing a destination address; and a transmitting section, for transmitting the source resource located at the source resource location address to a destination resource located at the destination address location; and a remote terminal for indicating said source resource location address, said destination address, and prompting said transmitting section.
In an embodiment of the present invention the data network environment is an Internet protocol environment, the remote terminal is a wireless terminal, and a further addition of a wireless gateway connecting the wireless terminal to the Internet protocol environment is provided.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for linking a wireless display terminal in an Internet protocol environment with a plurality of Internet servers, wherein the Internet servers contain a plurality of files containing hyperlinks, said system comprising: a wireless gateway for connecting the wireless terminal with the Internet; a hosting device residing on an Internet site server and including: a first memory, for retrieving and storing a source resource location address; a second memory, for retrieving and storing a destination address; and a transmitting section, for transmitting the source resource located at the source resource location address to the destination resource located at the destination resource location address; and a wireless terminal for indicating said source resource location address, said destination address, and prompting said transmitting section.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless terminal is a display terminal.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer for remotely directing data transfers comprising: a memory containing: a server computer program for: presenting sources of desired data to a first remote address; receiving a specific source address identifying desired data; receiving a destination address different than said first remote address; transferring the desired data from the location specified by the specific source address to the destination address; and a processor for running the computer program.
In an embodiment of the present invention the specific source address and destination address are specified by one or a combination of navigating hyperlinks, selecting from a list, or explicitly providing a location address, the computer is an Internet protocol server, and the transferring the desired data is effected according to an Internet protocol.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to transfer data under remote direction, the computer system having a first memory for retrieving and storing a source resource location address, a second memory for retrieving and storing a destination address; and a transmitting section for transmitting a source resource located at the source resource location address to a destination resource located at the destination location address, by performing the steps of: storing an address in the first memory under remote direction from a first remote address; storing an address in the second memory under remote direction wherein said address in the second memory is different from said first remote address; and transmitting the data so indicated by the address in the first memory to the destination so indicated in the second memory.
In an embodiment of the present invention the addresses stored in the first and second memories and the remote address refer to addresses on a computer network. Further an alternate embodiment has the computer network as an Internet protocol network.
An advantage of the present invention is that of providing a measure of relief from the difficulty of handling data over a low bandwidth remote links when the remote station has minimal display facilities such as is the case with a wireless handset or Personal Digital Assistant by providing linkage between data objects on one computer and applications residing on another computer without the data objects needing to traverse the low bandwidth link.